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Again how did police deal with riots in the days before they had all that surplus army hardware?

Why does it matter if they have surplus army hardware? You make it sound like tiananmen square. Not surprising, as most of those protesting and those on your side of the fence sensationalize everything. People who do this IMO should be held responsible for whipping up hysteria and violence that these protests build up to. Both the media and the people who instigate this type of reaction should all be held accountable for the damage done to the stores and the lives lost as a result of the hysteria.

- There was never a good war, or a bad peace.
- Idealistically, everything should work as you planed it to. Realistically, it depends on how idealistic you are as to the measure of success.
- Better to be a pessimist before, and an optimist afterwords.

Why does it matter if they have surplus army hardware? You make it sound like tiananmen square. Not surprising, as most of those protesting and those on your side of the fence sensationalize everything. People who do this IMO should be held responsible for whipping up hysteria and violence that these protests build up to. Both the media and the people who instigate this type of reaction should all be held accountable for the damage done to the stores and the lives lost as a result of the hysteria.

It matters because military hardware is used by military forces in prosecuting wars. The police are not - for the thousandth time - a military force and US citizen are not an enemy. The job descriptions are completely different and completely incompatible.

And btw - Lt Gen Russel Honore, the NG commander during the Katrina, who one would think knows just little about dealing with situations like this has been very critical of the way the police handled the situation.

It matters because military hardware is used by military forces in prosecuting wars. The police are not - for the thousandth time - a military force and US citizen are not an enemy. The job descriptions are completely different and completely incompatible.

And btw - Lt Gen Russel Honore, the NG commander during the Katrina, who one would think knows just little about dealing with situations like this has been very critical of the way the police handled the situation.

When you are dealing with a heavily armed populace, you have to be heavily armed and protected. Would you put yourself in the police officers shoes with only a hand gun?

- There was never a good war, or a bad peace.
- Idealistically, everything should work as you planed it to. Realistically, it depends on how idealistic you are as to the measure of success.
- Better to be a pessimist before, and an optimist afterwords.

No, the reason for the riots is because of a bunch of lawless assholes went buck wild in the streets.

Try having your surrendering son or daughter who is unarmed being shot in a town that has a history of mistreatment of your race, then pass judgement. Until then try to have some compassion for Mr. Brown and understanding for the feelings of his community.

"Conservatism is the blind and fear-filled worship of dead radicals."
- Mark Twain

And when protests and honest news reporting are met with tear gas and armored vehicles, then what? Sit back and take it? No.

Then report on the facts regarding the tear gas and armored vehicles. Escalating violence will not see protestors win anything other than jail time and possibly their lives. The only way to protest and WIN is with non-violence. Has Ghandi and MLK's teachings been ignored?